Tales of the Witch and the Echo
by paomayo
Summary: Her absence should have been a relief for all of mankind, but her return has created a struggle to either protect her or use her for their own nefarious purposes. One team from the Special Combat Air Recon will answer to this crisis and bring closure to the girl that tries to keep her magic away from harm.
1. Chapter 1 - Die Rückkehr der Hexe

_All trademarks, properties and copyrights associated with the manufacturers, models, trade names, entertainment and brands depicted in this fanfic are the property of their respective owners._

"Holy hell." One American soldier of German descent reacted upon seeing the contents inside the capsule. "Guys, you might wanna see this!"

"Let me see." A female Austrian soldier with blonde hair responded before seeing what's inside. "Huh?"

What shocked them is that a girl with bright red hair was inside under suspended animation. Her youthful appearance suggests that she was put under stasis for transport and preservation.

"How long has she been in there?" A Canadian wondered. "If I have to guess, she may have been around since the time of the Nazis, based on the artifacts we have seen before and the appearance of the capsule here."

"Likely...well, I do hear rumors of secret German projects during the Second World War on TV. My father often watched these during his free time." The Austrian supported his idea.

"Whatever it is, we need to inform Admiral Raines about this. I don't want to see the Neuer Falke getting any more powerful shit the next time we see them, including whatever she is."

The three then took another small glimpse of the girl before they began to reach out to the pilot of the Raven dropship.

"Irons, can you request paramedics?" The captain requested. "We have a girl here."

"Copy that, Captain." He then began contacting the base for landing clearance. "Spangdahlem Control, this is Hyena Two. We are on final approach. Requesting clearance to land and paramedics at the ready, over."

"Copy, Hyena Two. You are cleared to land." The control tower authorized their landing. "Be advised, paramedics are on stand-by."

"A'ight, we're here." The American leader informed.

 **(Spangdahlem Base, Spangdahlem - June 3, 0214 hrs.)**

The Raven was being guided by ground personnel as it touches down on the ground. Once the landing is complete, the ramp is opened to allow Echo Team of the Special Combat Air Recon to bring the capsule outside. As they brought her outside, the commander of the base of Lithuanian descent was waiting near the dropship alongside paramedics.

"Good to see you people back in one piece." He greeted.

"Yeah, but it looks like we have encountered slightly heavier resistance than we expected." The captain admitted. "By the way sir, we got someone here in need of medical attention and we need to contact Admiral Raines immediately."

"Whom did you find?"

"Follow me, sir." The Austrian guided him towards the capsule to see the girl inside. "We don't know why she was wanted by the Neuer Falke."

"What the hell?" He reacted upon seeing her for the first time. "What is she doing inside?"

"It's weird. We don't know why."

"I understand, Warrant Officer Fredericka. Captain Walter, meet me at my office in ten minutes and bring along your team as well."

"On my way." Walter agreed before turning his attention to his teammates. "Fredericka, Hebert, let's take the girl somewhere safe first."

"Affirmative." The two agreed before closely looking at the capsule to locate the control panel.

"I can see a button here. I wonder what does it do."

He pressed it and the pressure inside slowly begins to match with the one outside. He then pressed another button to open the capsule. It revealed the full extent of the girl's appearance: a single white short dress.

"Let's bring here to the stretcher." Hebert uttered and he and Fredericka carried her onto a wating strecher. "Take good care of her."

"We will, don't worry." One of them assured before sending her inside an ambulance, complete with an oxygen mask. It then leaves the tarmac.

Hebert noticed that Fredericka was feeling unsure.

"Hey Finé, you okay there?" He asked.

"Uhh...yeah." She shyly replied. "The girl..."

"I know. We still don't know just like you said earlier."

"The only thing we can rely on for now is those classified files the OSS has recovered before." Walter suggested. "Maybe our answers could be answered.

Unbeknownst to them, a small tracking chip was installed on her capsule.

 **(0220 hrs.)**

As soon as the team assembled on the monitor, it reveals an African-American man in his office in Geneva.

"Captain Walter, good to see you and your team here today." He greeted.

"Nice to see you as well sir, but we have something to tell you."

"Go ahead."

Walter then began to explain their discovery.

"Admiral, we have recovered a young girl from the facility and we have confirmed that she is under suspended animation. We have reasons to believe that whatever the Germans built during the Second World War, the Neuer Falke would like to get their hands on it and cause more attacks."

"That's a problem for sure. Status of the girl?" Raines asked for her condition.

"She's in the hospital, sir. Awaiting medical check-up."

"I see. In the meantime, we have intel of Neuer Falke operatives amassing in Norway as we speak. You will receive a detailed report as soon as we have further confirmation." The monitor displayed a satellite photograph on the suspected base which is located in Ålfotbreen. "Be prepared at once. Top Cat out."

The briefing ended once Raines stopped the transmission.

"Another Neuer Falke hideout to deal with?"

"Just another day in the office, Jude." Walter nodded. "Just another day."

 **(0229 hrs.)**

Echo Team entered the office of Albert Kubilus as he continued reading the report. The former saluted in front of the officer.

"Sir, Echo Team reporting." Walter said.

"Carry on." Kubilus responded and the team lowered their hands. "Thank you for coming here because we have some bigger issues to deal with."

"What do you mean, sir?"

"After analyzing the intel we have on the Neuer Falke, it appears they are growing stronger by the minute. C5s have been spotted on numerous locations in the Caucasus, the Alps, even as far as Greenland. We even have reports that arms shipments are much more frequent as we speak."

"Any idea who is sending them weapons?" Hebert asked.

"Negative, Lieutenant Hebert. We are still looking into it."

"Alright, sir."

Kubilis then switches to the situation in connection to the girl.

"The girl you have recovered could mean that the Neuer Falke could try something else. We believe that we are facing some very unconventional methods of warfare that were first attempted back in World War II."

"So, that means that we are going to look at other things Hitler and his cronies tried to use?" Walter asked. "Something that can be from science-fiction?"

"Exactly, Captain Walter. In the meantime, I want your team to be on stand-by until further notice." Kubilis requested. "We will inform you of any updates."

"Affirmative. We will wait." Walter agreed.

"Dismissed." The team then left the room.

As they began to head for their quarters, the team began pondering.

"Unconventional warfare?" Hebert wondered.

"Indeed. Something much wierder than the V1s or V2s." Walter agreed. "You ever heard of what happened back in Japan: the weird light show?"

"That?" Fredericka remembered. "That's right. The strange light in the sky that night."

"Even now, the scientific community is baffled. There are even reports of readings of gravitational waves in the mountains. I wonder what is going on there."

She then yawned after a long period of staying awake.

"...in that case, I better get some sleep."

"Good idea." Walter agreed. "Get some shut-eye. We better save some energy."

As the team moved on, outside, unknown forces began infiltrating the base. One of them closed in on a partolman and stabbed him while covering his mouth to muffle the noise.

 _"He's down."_ He confirmed. _"Report your status."_

 _"Teams 1 and 2 are standing by."_ One of his fellow soldiers reported.

 _"Roger. As soon as you are inside, find the witch."_

While they continue with their infiltration, an unsuspecting guard was busy patrolling the area beside the hangars for the Jackals.

"This is Lima 3, Hangar 2 is secured. Moving to Hangar 3." The soldier reported on his radio.

"Copy that." Another patrolman responded.

As he began to leave for the next area, he heard a noise.

"Huh?" He began to aim his NV4 at the source. "Who's there?"

Instead, he received an energy shot in the head to kill him.

 _"Close one."_ The operative sighed in relief.

The two operatives then moved the body away from the scene before moving out to the warehouse.

 _"Got anything?"_ The second asked.

 _"It should be right over there."_ The first replied while confirming the location via his pad. _"Be careful, Schmid."_

The two quietly made their way towards the warehouse while hiding from patrols, searchlights and any sensors that can detect them.

 _"Inside."_ He opened the door and quietly proceeded to look for the capsule.

When they did spotted it, they moved closer only to see that it was opened.

 _"Crap! It's opened!"_ Schmid reacted upon seeing what happened to the capsule.

 _"Holy..."_ The exclamation made the other teams who are hearing it react as well.

 _"Jäger, report your status."_ One of them requested.

 _"Sir, the capsule is opened."_

 _"WHAT!? Don't tell me they may have transferred her somewhere!"_

 _"I don't know, we just arrived."_

Suddenly, a patrol team arrived inside to cover the room. The infiltration team took cover to hide themselves.

"Looks like it's clear." He reported. "Casper, this is Sierra 2, we have arrived at the warehouse."

As the team began the sweep, the infiltration team began to slowly move away from the patrol team's line-of-sight. They reached the entrance while the team was not looking, making a clean getaway.

 _"Let's keep looking."_ Jäger encouraged.

Suddenly, a patrolman spotted them. He opened fire at the intruders which began alerting the base. Inside the warehouse, the patrol team was surprised to hear gunshots.

"I don't like this. Let's go!" The leader encouraged.

Even the main facilities were not spared by the encounter as an alarm was sounded that brought the entire base in an emergency.

"This is not a drill! Hostile elements have infiltrated the base!" The announcer warned. "I repeat, this is not a drill! Hostile elements have infiltrated the base - weapons free!"

The soldiers began to arm themselves to defend the base. In the quarters, Fredericka rushed to get her weapons as well.

"We are under attack! Man your positions!" One regular shouted.

On her way to the armory, Walter and Hebert saw her.

"You get that?" Fredericka asked a question.

"Yeah...looks like they know where she is." Walter responded.

Outside, a gunfight between the Neuer Falke and the United Nations Space Alliance ensued as the former began to dig themselves into cover. Explosions from the grenades also appeared.

 _"You have requested air support?"_ One of the operatives asked before firing his KBAR-32.

 _"About ten minutes."_ Another responded.

Echo Team, now armed, began to assist the troops in order to fend off the infiltrators.

"Listen up: we need to push them back at all costs. Jude, provide overwatch at the top of the warehouse. Guide our allies."

"On it." Hebert responded while holding his KBS Longbow sniper rifle.

"Finé, with me."

"Copy." Fredericka followed.

The two soldiers arrived at the tarmac as the fight progresses.

"Go, go!" Walter barked.

When Fredericka spotted three soldiers, she opened fire with her RPR Evo submachine gun. She managed to kill one of them before taking cover.

"Reloading!" Walter responded as he began to change the magazine for his NV4. "Tangos, 10 o'clock!"

"I see him!" One soldier responded before opening fire.

Then, a fragmentation grenade was thrown at Walter's position.

"Grenade!" He shouted to warn nearby soldiers to get away. It exploded, killing two of them. "Fuck!"

"I see him!" Fredericka spotted an infiltrator before killing him with a short burst from her rifle. "Enemy down!"

"Concentrate your fire!"

Suddenly, the sound of an approaching aircraft began to fill the air. This made the defenders worried.

"I don't like this." Fredericka uttered with concern.

The aircraft appeared in front of the defenders, surprising them with its dark paint scheme, swept-forward wings and an impressive array of heavy ordinance.

"Enemy gunship - take cover!" Fredericka shouted as the defenders attempted to find cover from the incoming fire from the aircraft.

The rockets and hail of gunfire began taking a toll on the UNSA troops as they are beginning to be slowly picked off. Fredericka ran towards her commanding officer.

"What do we do, sir?" She asked.

"We find a rocket and shoot it down!" Walter responded before firing back.

"Copy!"

 **(0304 hrs.)**

Inside a nearby hospital, incoming calls concerning the wounded began to spike as the first responders began to rush to the base. Meanwhile, under the wailing from both the civil defense siren and those of emergency services, the ambulance carrying the girl arrived at the hospital.

"That's it, be careful." One of the paramedics reminded as the wheeled strecher was carefully unloaded along with dextrose.

A few meters later, the doctors and nurses were waiting for the girl when she arrived.

"Doctor, she's currently stable." He reported.

"Thank you for the news." The doctor was glad before beginning to talk to his colleagues. " _No time to waste! I need a check on her immediately!"_

 _"Yes, doctor!"_ A fellow doctor responded.

As the doctors and nurses began to take her for treatment, she slowly began to regain consciousness and slightly opened her eyes.

"...mmmmnnngggh...huh?"

Her recent actions surprised the medical team.

 _"Look, she's regaining consciouness."_ A doctor reported.

She looked at her surroundings until she realized that they are mostly unfamiliar to her.

 _"Am I...in a hospital?"_ She then began to try to persuade them to let her go. "Hey, let me go! I'm fine!"

"You need a check-up, ma'am." The lead doctor rejected. "You don't know what's your condition right now."

"Please!" She then leaped out of her stretcher before the feed needle for the dextrose gave her some pain. "Owww!"

She slowly noticed the feed on her left hand.

"Ma'am, please!" A nurse pleaded. "You might be in danger!"

Slowly, she removed the needle from her left hand before turning around in front of the doctors and nurses for the last time.

"I know what you are doing but I'll be fine on my own." She apologized while bowing. "Thank you, anyway."

She then ran away. The medical team was left surprised.

"I wasn't expecting that to happen." It was the words the lead doctor uttered. "Just was is she?"

On her way, the situation in the hospital remained dire as the other doctors and nurses were preparing to treat the first of the wounded soldiers. When she went outside, she was shocked to see where she is. Buildings of different design were shown before her as well as vehicles which feature more curves than her previous encounters.

"Where am I? This doesn't look like the last village I visited." The wailing of the sirens then made her wonder what is going on. "Is an attack going on?"

She then saw smoke glowing in the distance as a fire is raging on.

"Oh no...!"

 **(0317 hrs.)**

Inside the base, Kubilis was armed with his Kendall 44 pistol as he began to make contact with the other officers.

"Sitrep!"

"Sir, we've lost hangars 1, 3 and 5." The officer reported. "They have gunship support as we can't get air assets on time."

"Fan out and get our launchers to any of our surviving troops. We need to turn the tide."

"Yes, sir." The officer left before another one came with some bad news.

"Sir, two more bogeys approaching the base - bearing 342!"

"Crap!" Kulbilis reacted. "We must hurry, NOW!"

Outside, Fredericka and Walter began to move away from the gunship's line-of-sight while firing back at any Neuer Falke troops.

"Jude, you have eyes on the gunship?" Walter asked while under fire.

"I see the target." He then notice the rear doors opening. "Hold on, enemy reinforcements appriaching."

When the first of the enemy soldiers began to drop, he shot him mid-way.

"Captain, throw a grenade inside and you should be able to down it. We have our hands full."

"Roger that." Walter complied. "Finé, we have to down it. I'll cover you."

"Wilco!" Fredericka responded.

Fredericka began to close in as the captain opened fire at any enemies that would try to stop her from reaching the gunship. The former did the same before reaching the bottom of the dropship.

"Throwing grenade!" She shouted as she armed it. It was then thrown inside the gunship from the rear before another one was armed and thrown

 _"Grenade!"_ One of the soldiers inside shouted before the explosion killed them.

The first explosion damaged the interior and some of the flight controls before the second one finally disabled the latter, sending it into a dangerous spin. Fredericka then began to hurriedly head back to Captain Walter before the gunship crashed and exploded.

"Nice one, Finé." Walter lauded.

"Thank you, sir." She sighed.

"We still have work to do." He then began to contact Hebert. "Jude, what's your status?"

"This is Jude, we are currently pinned down at the warehouse. We need help, over."

"Hold on, we're on our way. ETA two mikes."

While running towards Hebert's position, two more gunships appeared from the northwest. Hebert noticed the sounds and was shocked to see two more of it.

"Shit!" He shouted before the gunships opened fire on him. He began to dodge rocket fire as the explosions tried to close in on him. "Taking enemy fire!"

Then, unknown objects began to fly through the gunships, forcing them to either suddenly spin out or outright drop to the ground. Regardless, they were no longer flying and the way it behaves baffled Hebert.

"What the hell just happened?!" He uttered.

Even on the side of the Neuer Falke and the other UNSA soldiers, they were unable to keep their reactions away from spilling out.

 _"What the hell just happened?!"_ One soldier shouted.

 _"We don't know, those things just...!"_

The embattled UNSA soldiers then realized they have the opportunity to strike back.

"Now's our chance! Fire!" The lead soldier shouted before firing his NV4.

They quickly took out many of the Neuer Falke soldiers leaving a few to fend for themselves. Fredericka and Walter finished off the remaining combatants. They then began to regroup with the two SCAR operatives.

"You see that?" Walter asked about the strange event.

"You mean those freaking flyin' pipes? Yeah, we did." The leader affirmed

"Whatever it is, we have the opportunity to win while we have the chance."

"We're with you, sir." Then, Walter received a transmission from Hebert.

"Guys, you might wanna look up in the air. I think we found the source." The team took a glimpse at the sky before noticing a white figure riding on a long pole not far ahead.

"Is that..." Upon closer inspection, Fredericka was shocked after recognizing what it is. "You've gotta be kidding me!"

"It's that girl!" Walter followed while the other soldiers were stunned. What they saw is a girl riding on a big pole that can fly.

The girl noticed the UNSA soldiers below and began her descent towards them. As soon as she is down on the ground, she got off from the pipe before the latter dropped on its own. Walter signalled the regular soldiers to stand down.

"Hold it." He requested them to stand down as the girl approaches them.

"Wh-who are you people?"

"United Nations Space Alliance, ma'am." Walter responded. "What's your name?"

She tries to regain her confidence for a moment before finally releasing her answer.

"I-I-Izetta..."

Suddenly, another explosion rocked the base, scaring her.

"Eeek! What's that?!"

"Guess trouble's brewing over at the command center." Fredericka answered before a transmission from Kubilis was received.

"This is Spangdahlem Command, we are being breached! I say again, we are being breached!" Kubilis shouted. "Request support over!"

"Affirmative, we're on our way." Walter responded before Echo Team began to head out to assist. "Let's move out. Jude?"

"Solid copy, Cap." Hebert responded on the radio

Suddenly, Fredericka went towards Izetta and gave her a gentle pat on the head.

"Huh?"

"You'll be fine here." Fredericka told her with a smile. "The guys here will keep you safe."

"Okay." Izetta replied before Fredericka left.

When the team reached the building, the defenders inside were in a losing position.

"This isn't going well." Walter observed. "Finé, Jude, keep them from overruning the building."

"Roger that." Fredericka responded.

"Copy." Hebert followed.

The team then began to open fire at the Neuer Falke soldiers as they are now caught in a two-fronted attack. They were slowly losing men as the special forces operatives laid down bullet after bullet.

"Target killed." Hebert confirmed after shooting one soldier in the head.

"Frag out!" Fredericka shouted before throwing towards four unsuspecting soldiers. It exploded, killing them.

Walter closed in on the building as he cleared the path for the rest to enter.

"Time to get inside. Clear the area and help our allies inside." He ordered.

The team entered the building after reloading. Hebert got hold of a Karma-45 submachine gun to effectively fight at close range. A few meters later, they saw a group of enemy soldiers.

"Enemies spotted! Light 'em up!"

The team took cover while opening fire at the infiltrators. The enemy soldiers did the same while one of them threw a grenade at them.

"Grenade!" Hebert shouted to warn the team. They escaped the blast radius before it exploded.

"That's close!" Fredericka commented.

As some of the Neuer Falke broke from their cover, Echo Team was able to seize the opportunity by firing while they attempt to fire back. They closed in before finishing off the last of the soldiers.

"Area clear!" Jude confirmed.

When they reached the command room, it was total chaos as the surviving officers and soldiers were gradually getting outnumbered.

"This is bad." Fredericka was shocked at the scene.

"Clear the room, now!" Walter prioritized and his subordinates nodded. "Nail the bastards!"

Echo Team then opened fire at the Neuer Falke forces.

"2 o'clock!" Hebert observed.

"I see him!" Fredericka responded before shooting the target. "He's down!"

"Copy that!" Walter uttered.

The firefight was slowly dying down as four Neuer Falke soldiers remained fighting. One of them attempted to throw a grenade at the surviving defenders. Fredericka took notice of it at fired the shot that stopped him from tossing it away.

 _"Get out of here!"_ One shouted to the survivors before the grenade exploded.

Echo Team then finished them off.

"That's all of them." Jude confirmed.

Then, one UNSA soldier came to see the team before saluting.

"Staff Sergeant Fischer, reporting." He introduced himself.

"How many causalties are we looking?" Fredericka asked.

"Ninteen, including officers."

"What about Colonel Kubilis?"

Fischer shook his head in reply.

"Didn't made it. Took a bullet in the chest defending the evacuation."

He took them to the body of the officer as the survivors began to organize the dead. When they took one last glimpse of him, all Echo Team did was salute in mourning.

"Peace to the fallen." They said in unison.

 **(0402 hrs.)**

When emergency services arrived, Izetta stood by looking at the scene. She can even see two UNSA dropships providing assistance to ease the strain on the workers. What bothered her was the location and time she is now.

Suddenly, a familiar face came.

"You look down when I saw you." Fredericka said frankly. "Are you alright?"

"Well...uh..." Izetta tried to come up with an answer. "I honestly don't know where I am. Can you tell me where are we now?"

Fredericka sat beside her before revealing the answer.

"You're in Spangdahlem Military Base, near the city of Trier."

"That's German territory!" Izetta remembered before trying to run away. "I better-"

Fredericka hold her arms before beginning to assure her.

"Hold your horses. Germany was already beaten."

"Beaten!?" Izetta was stunned by the revelation. "They...lost?"

"It was more than a hundred years ago since the Second World War ended. You were asleep for that period."

"I was asleep for more than a hundred years?!" The girl reacted upon hearing the second revelation. "I-I..."

"Calm down, Izetta. You were long gone from the world. It's time to move on."

Izetta slowly calmed down while beginning to face reality. Her absence from previous world affairs meant that she has to come up face-to-face with what is going on right now.

"Alright...I will."

"Just tell me why you were wanted by them and maybe we could sort this out."

"I'll tell you." She began to tell Fredericka her story. "To be honest, I came from a long line of withces."

"Witches? You mean those with magic powers?"

Izetta nodded.

"I was the last one left and my grandmother told me that we shouldn't interfere with the actions of mankind. There are bad things bound to happen if my magic was to be discovered. That's why there are people like the Germans who are after me."

"Just like what you did earlier." Fredericka nodded in understanding before noticing Izetta shedding tears.

"But I broke it...and then look what happened." She began to cry and Fredericka began comforting her.

"It's not your fault. Have you not come here on time, we would have been killed off already. We are thankful for your help."

"...really?"

Fredericka nodded.

"I believe it. Besides, Germany is not like it is before."

"I'm so glad." She wiped a tear off her eye. "Thank you."

Just then, Walter and Hebert arrived.

"Finé, we have to get going!" The former informed. "Admiral Raines needs to see us for the briefing."

"I will." She then took one more look at Izetta. "Listen, I better go. See ya."

Izetta waved her hand in reply, smiling.

"Okay...I'll see you again."

The team then left to meet with Admiral Raines.

 _A/N: To those who might wanna know, this fanfic will take place less than a year before the events of_ Infinite Warfare _. Try not to expect much from it._

 _I also just started watching it. Overall, it is quite good enough that it should be enough to get you interested._


	2. Chapter 2 - Zurückschlagen

**(Spangdahlem Base, Spangdahlem - June 3, 0412 hrs.)**

Echo Team arrived at the monitor to be briefed by Admiral Raines. As usual, they saluted.

"Admiral, all members are accounted for." Walter reported.

"Good, because we need to strike back fast." The admiral began to brief them. "That attack is an indication that they are willing to use unconventional means to get what they want."

"Affirmative. Just say the word."

The screen then displays an improved image of the area in Ålfotbreen. Included is another picture with a marked suspicious building.

"We have further intelligence that there is a data center at the aforementioned area early on. Your objective is to take whatever they have and we can decrypt it to see what they are up to. Expect heavy resistance. Top Cat out."

The monitor then stopped transmitting Raines' signal.

A few minutes later, the Raven that will be assigned to transport Echo Team to Norway has already finished preparations for departure. When the team arrived with their weapons now stocked up and gear ready, it is only a few moments away from take-off.

Fredericka then remember something.

"Cap, can you give me a few minutes to see Izetta?" She requested.

"Affirmative. Just make it quick." Walter agreed.

Fredericka then began to find the girl. It only took a few seconds for the operative to see the witch curiously walking within the area.

"Izetta!"

"Finé? What are you doing?" The witch asked.

"We're going to find those who are who are after you. No matter what happens, you'll be safe with the soldiers."

"You will?"

The operative nodded with a smile.

"Then let me help as well. I can't let you go on this alone."

"We'll be fine. Besides, we are SCARs."

"SCARs?" Izetta scratches her head in confusion.

"Special operatives, to put things simply. A'ight, I better go." Fredericka then began to regroup with her colleagues.

"Be careful." A word was said in a lowly tone by the witch. A moment later, the Raven is rising up before slowly heading out for Norway.

Izetta then began to show some concern for Fredericka and the rest of the team, fearing for their safety.

 _"No...they can't do this alone."_

 **(Ålfotbreen - 0552 hrs.)**

As the dropship approaches the DZ, the pilot began to scan the environment for any potential hazards. A few minutes later, he began to relay to the team.

"All clear, Echoes." The pilot said. "Clear to proceed."

"Roger that." Walter responded with a thumbs-up. "Dune, Spectre, time to hustle."

"Affirmative." Fredericka with the "Dune" callsign replied

"Got it, chief." Hebert with the "Spectre" callsign followed.

With their specialized skydiving equipment ready, they stand beside the side door as it is being opened. A moment of last-minute scanning ensured that no hostile forces are in sight.

"Go, go!" Hebert shouted and the team jumped out of the aircraft one-by-one before beginning their dive to the ground.

The pilots, meanwhile, began their return home when beeping from their radar was heard. It showed one approaching at high speed.

"Uh...hold on, is that a bogey approaching?" The co-pilot asked.

"Shit!" The colleague reacted before beginning to maneuver quickly. "Deploying countermeasures!"

The bogey turned out to be Izetta as she flew past the dropship surprising the pilots in the process.

"What the fuck is that?!" His eyes were wide open.

Izetta turned around to see the pilots.

"Uh...is she flying on a large freaking gun?!" The co-pilot wondered just as the mysterious girl approaches the cockpit.

"Where is Finé?" She asked in a bemoaning manner.

The pilots remained shocked.

"Are you hearing what she is saying?" The pilot asked.

"Negative."

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

Knowing that she will not be able to hear them, the pilots pointed their fingers to the right to show her where the team is heading.

"Huh?" She began to fly to find her and the team.

When the team is near the first checkpoint, Walter began to communicate via radio for the change in direction.

"3...2...1...dive!" Walter said and the team began diving to the ground.

At this point, they are closing in on the ground fast.

"Slow!"

Their boost rigs were then engage to drastically reduce the impact of the fall and they landed safely; however, Hebert's landing was a bit too hard.

"Oww!" He uttered.

"You okay?" Fredericka asked as she offered him help in getting up.

"Yeah...I'll be fine." He then grabbed her hand in order to stand up.

"Okay, now that we are here, time to head south." Walter said. "The data center shouldn't be far away."

"Roger."

A radio transmission was then picked up.

"Seagull, what's the situation?"

"Be advised, a red-haird girl flying a large gun is heading for your position." He reported.

"Izetta!?" Fredericka reacted.

Just like that, she appeared riding the weapon.

"Finé!" She greeted excitedly.

"Izetta, what are you doing here?" Hebert asked. "This is more dangerous than what happened back in Spangdahlem."

"I know, but you might need me if anything get worse." She offered assistance.

"You sure about it? I mean, it's quite a risk." Walter was not convinced.

"I'm sure about it."

The team began struggling to think of a concrete answer to her offer and began to come together to discuss.

"You sure about this, chief?" Hebert started the discussion. "If the Neuer Falke wanted her so badly, they would be waiting for us right now."

"Yeah...me too. I don't want her get into any more harm just like all of us." The captain aired his concern.

"Speaking of which, remember the files back at the Nazi lab in Austria?" Fredericka began to recap their previous operation. "If those papers are correct, then that means that she could be holding on to more powers than we ever seen."

"Affirmative."

"What should it be, sir?"

A few seconds of thinking was used by the captain before turning to see Izetta.

"Izetta?"

"Yes?" She responded.

"If you want to help, try not to get yourself captured out there."

"Ah...thank you." The witch was glad to hear.

"Echoes, move out." The team began to resume their journey to the data center while bringing along Izetta.

"So hey, I didn't know you much aside from Finé here."

"Oh, we didn't introduce ourselves yet, I see?" Walter responded. "I'm Captain Hendrick Walter."

"First Lieutenant Jude Hebert, nice to meet you." The Canadian introduced himself.

Izetta then turned her attention to Fredericka.

"And how about you Finé?"

"Warrant Officer Ortfiné Fredericka." The female operative followed. "That's my name."

"I'll just call you Finé. May I?"

"Not here at least. Just call me "Dune" in operations like this, okay?"

"Okay." Izetta nodded.

After 71 minutes of traversing, Walter spotted the center. He signalled the team to halt.

"Data center in sight." He said while signalling them to take a look with their binoculars. "Half a klick away."

"I see it. Got a small patrol with two vehicles, mounted with MGs."

"Alright. Dune, with me. We're gonna hack into their security cameras and see where the mainframes are."

"Solid copy, sir." Fredericka responded before heading out with Walter.

"Spectre, Izetta, remain here and provide over-watch."

"Affirmative." Hebert followed while preparing his KBS Longbow. "Izetta, time to play the waiting game."

The two operatives quietly moved closer to the center via a forested patch of terrain. Suddenly, the sound of an approaching truck alerted them.

"Vehicle inbound, take cover." Walter and Fredericka dived for cover and the truck passed through without incident.

"Let's go."

The duo then moved closer to the perimeter fence.

"I'll get us in. Watch my six." Fredericka informed.

"Copy."

She began to use a laser cutting tool to make a hole through the fence while Walter provided support. Once the hole was made, Fredericka tapped the captain that it is done and he gave a nod.

At the mountains, Hebert was closely monitoring the situation in the data center.

"So hey, Finé told me about you being part of SCARs. Just what are they?"

"The Special Combat Air Recon?" Hebert responded. "Well, to put things simply, we are a special forces branch assigned for recon and covert ops. You know, wreck things from behind."

"It's just like what Fredericka said."

"At least you get a general description of who we are." He then began to radio his teammates in the center. "Spectre to Longbow, what's your situation?"

"We entered the facility." Walter reported. "Got anything on your end?"

"Negative, no changes to the situation, over."

"Copy. Keep an eye out. Out." The transmission then ended before Hebert decided to inquire about the witch. "Now Izetta, what about you?"

"To be honest, I was the last witch and my grandmother told me not to use my magic to interfere with the affairs of the world."

"No wonder the Germans were after you." He expressed his curiosity.

"But that's not all: all of my magic comes from the ley lines underground. My grandmother told me that these are the sources of our powers."

"Can you feel it?" Izetta then began to focus to check for the intensity of the ley lines below her.

"It should be sufficient enough for us if anything goes wrong."

"Good."

Inside, Walter and Fredericka quietly made their way to a door with their suppressed weapons ready. Walter then hacked the security system of the door to allow them entry.

"After you, Captain." Fredericka uttered.

The doors were then closed to avoid arousing suspicion from the guards. Upon entering, they scanned their surroundings to keep an eye out for any hostile forces. They spotted one in a room reading some papers. The duo quietly slipped away from him

"All clear." Fredericka confirmed after looking at the hallways in front and at the back.

They then heard footsteps from a patrol.

"Take cover."

The patrol began passing by the hallways in their normal routine.

 _"Negative on the west section. Heading east, over."_ They then moved away to allow the operatives to move forward.

The team then stumbled upon a CCTV room where a guard is watching the monitors.

"Got a guard here." Fredericka confirmed before quietly moving in for the kill with her knife. The guard noticed her when she is very close.

 _"Wha-"_ He was then cut off as he was muffled and killed by the operative.

"Hacking the cameras now. Stand by." Fredericka then began to use her wrist computer to access while Walter began to report their status to Hebert and Izetta.

"Specter, this is Longbow. We are accessing the cameras. Tell Command to request air support if things go south. Looks like comms would be dark for a while."

"Copy, standing." Hebert responded. "No changes so far. Out."

A few moments later, Fredericka managed to find a feed for the mainframe room in the second basement.

"Captain, I'm going to download the location to you. Mainframe's floors down. We can use the cameras to see any guards."

"Good work."

Fredericka then selected the area where the mainframe is located before sending the location to her captain's wrist computer. They then began to head out.

 **(0742 hrs.)**

Outside, Hebert and Izetta were watching the area when the former spotted a large convoy approaching the datacenter.

"Shit! Got a problem here."

"What did you see?" Izetta asked.

"Convoy's moving inside." He began to show Izetta his finding via the scope. "See it?"

Izetta widely opened her eyes upon seeing the group of trucks and HMMWVs.

"Finé and the captain might be in trouble."

"Yeah...alas, communication might be cut off if the mainframe's underground."

"What should we do then?"

Hebert began to think of an idea in order to ensure Walter and Fredericka's safety and success in the mission.

"Izetta, think you can grab one of their big guns?"

"I can."

At the second basement, the duo began following their wrist computers to the room. Upon approaching the door leading to the mainframe, the two began to hack; Fredericka was assigned to disable security protocols while Walter focused on the doors.

"Protocols down. Clear to move." Fredericka confirmed.

"Roger that." The captain responded.

They entered the room and began to see a tower of servers.

"Alright, time to get what we came for and get the hell out of here." He began to use a specialized computer to connect to the mainframe and access the files. "I'm in; beginning the download."

"Make it quick, Captain." Fredericka suggested.

"I know."

The download began and a treasure trove of files were being stored for decryption back at the UNSA headquarters. During the process, Walter stumbled upon something that caught his eyes.

"Huh...'Project Hexen?'" He began to examine it more closely.

"Captain?"

"Might wanna look at this." All eyes were on the monitor as a file containing research data was discovered by the captain. "Whatever it is, we need this thing analyzied ASAP."

"Affirmative."

A few moments later, the download is finished.

"Let's go." The computer disconnected from the servers.

Just as they are about to exit the door, another patrol spotted the duo.

 _"Over the-"_ Instinctively, the two shot them dead to prevent them from relaying the alert.

"Window's closing fast." The captain made a projection of their plan of escape.

"Stairs are over there; we can use that." Fredericka pointed at the emergency stairs.

"Good thinking. Watch those corners."

The two opened the door to the stair and began to walk towards the ground floor. Fredericka then began to contact Hebert and Izetta.

"Spectre, can you read me?" She asked while under static. "Spectre, come in."

A single level has passed and the static remained. It wasn't long before it began to clear up.

"Dune, I read you but we've got a problem here." He began to report his finding. "A medium-sized convoy just entered the area. We're on our way to help you guys get out of here. Until then, a direct firefight might be unavoidable."

"Solid copy. We'll be careful." The transmission ended.

Outside, Hebert and Izetta arrived near the perimeter.

"Looks like this is the place." Hebert confirmed. "Izetta, follow me and stay down."

"Okay." The witch agreed with a nod.

The sniper began to look for an opportunity to do a sneak attack. What he found satisified him: three canisters containing flammable material are standing idly beside a HMMWV inside a garage depot.

"There." He told Izetta. "I'll shoot those canisters so that we can divert much of their attention away from us."

"This is Longbow, we are outside the building; awaiting your signal." Walter informed.

"Roger, stand-by. Gonna make the canisters explode."

He aimed his sniper rifle at the canisters. A few moments later, he fired a single shot to make one of the canisters leak. When the second shot is fired, the impact created a spark creating an ignition.

"Boooomm!" He merrily uttered as the explosion alerted the soldiers.

 _"Explosion...get the fire out!"_ One shouted in shock.

As expected, an alarm was sounded. Then, the two operatives arrived.

"Looks like you made one hell of a fireworks." He complemented Hebert's idea.

"Time to get out of here." The team then began to head out for the fence.

In the middle of their escape, one of the Neuer Falke soldiers spotted them.

 _"Hostiles, over there!"_ He shouted and the others near him opened fire.

"Take cover!" Walter shouted and the team hid behind the trees.

"Throwing blackout!" Fredericka shouted before arming and throwing a Blackout Grenade towards the guards.

 _"Aaahhh!"_ A few reacted upon experiencing temporary hearing and sight loss due to the detonation. They were later gunned down.

"Guys, remember those vehicles we saw at the gates?" Izetta asked. "We could use those."

"Not a bad idea, Izetta." Walter complemented. "If we could stay alive a little longer, we can escape with those vehicles. Let's move!"

Using the environment, they quietly head for the entrance and the two vehicles remained in their place.

"Take out those guards so that we can command one." Fredericka said.

With their weapons aimed at the soldiers, they prepare to fire. Hebert then gave Izetta another Blackout Grenade.

"Think you can throw this?" He asked.

"What's this?" She inquired about the cylindrical device.

"Blackout Grenades, stuns people with hearing and vision loss. They last only for a few moments upon detonation. Press the black button on top of it to arm the grenade for detonation but you have a few moments to throw it."

She took another glimpse of the grenade before focusing her magic on it. This made the soldiers curious.

"Eeeh...what are you doing?" Fredericka wondered.

"Get ready the moment it detonates. I'm enhancing it with my magic."

Once the magic is fused, she pressed the black button and threw it hard towards the guards. It then landed near the guards before it detonated, causing a bright lingering flash that lasted for a brief moments. Once it subsided, Walter began to give the order.

"Now!" The team then fired at the soldiers killing them in almost an instant. "Clear."

The team rushed toward the vehicles.

"I'll hotwire this. Give me a few minutes." Hebert began his attempt to turn on the vehicle with his wrist computer.

Suddenly, more Neuer Falke soldiers began to appear. Among them are C5 battle robots with their reinforced armour.

"Hostilles inbound!" Fredericka warned.

"Light them up!" Walter shouted and they began to open fire.

"Eek!" Izetta took cover to protect herself.

"Let's see if they like this!" Fredericka then began to hack into one of the robots successfully and used it to kill as many as five soldiers before activating the self-desctruct.

 _"Stay clear!"_ When it detonated, three more soldiers lost their lives.

A moment later, the vehicle was turned on.

"GET IN! We're outta here!" Hebert confirmed.

The team began to ride the vehicle after the other two operatives provided cover fire. Their escape began.

 _"We have an escaping vehicle heading east. Stop 'em!"_ One Neuer Falke soldier reported.

While the vehicle is driving fast, Walter began to contact their transport.

"Seagull, this is Longbow, we have the package and are proceeding to primary exfil for extraction. How copy, over?" He said.

"Copy, heading for primary exfil. Out." Seagull responded.

Then, a Neuer Falke gunship is approaching.

"Damn them, Vultures!" Fredericka uttered with disgust.

Izetta then turned her attention to the machine gun mounted on the vehicle.

"Finé, help me with this." She requested. "I need it detached."

"You sure?" Fredericka responded.

"I'm sure."

Fredericka nodded in agreement before using the cutting tool to detach the machine gun from the mount.

Inside the Vulture, the pilots began to see the escape vehicle.

 _"This is Wiesel 2-1, I have the target on sight."_ One of them reported.

A few moments later, the gun is detached before Izetta began to emit a greenish glow as she began to manipulate it. The weapon is now covered in the same magical aura.

"Be careful, Izetta." Fredericka encouraged.

A nod then came from the witch as she began to sit on it and fly away to distract the Vulture. The female operative momentarily gave a salute.

The Vulture got a lock on the vehicle once it got closer.

 _"Target locked."_

Izetta then flew past the cockpit with the machine gun, surprising the pilots.

 _"What is that?!"_ The copilot reacted.

 _"It's her, the witch!"_

Izettal began to allow the Vulture to chase her in order for Echo Team to lose heat. The latter on the ground began to see her and the aircraft in a game of cat-and-mouse.

"Is Izetta getting that gunship off us?" Hebert asked after looking back for a moment.

"Yeah. She is." Walter agreed.

The gunship opened fire on the witch but the bullets missed.

"Yow!" She reacted while quickly evading. "That's close!"

 _"I can't get a lock on her!"_ The pilot was disgusted.

She then began to turn her attention to the mountains.

 _"That's it."_

She turned left hard and began to speed towards the mountains of Ålfotbreen while the Vulture continued pursuing her. When she is near the terrain, she flew close to the ground in an effort to make it crash.

It was then known to her that it will not fall for the trick, so instead she bit her right thumb and splattered blood onto the snow below her. The Vulture pilot then got a clean lock.

 _"Good-bye, witch!"_

Suddenly, the snow began to form icy spikes which tore through the gunship. Electrical systems and flight controls were disabled in an instant and the aircraft crashed, then tumbled violently. It then exploded in a fiery wreck after.

"Whew!" Izetta sighed before beginning her return to Echo Team.

The team noticed that nothing is chasing them.

"Is it over?" Hebert asked.

Fredericka scanned the skies for Izetta and she finally saw her returning.

"She's back!" She shouted happily.

"Thank goodness...whew!" Walter sighed in relief as Izetta returned to the flatbed.

"Got that whatever is chasing us." The witch said.

Suddenly, a hug from Fredericka was received.

"Thank you." Fredericka expressed her gratitude. "Thank you for your help."

All the witch did was to give a warm smile as the Raven arrived to pick them up for extraction.

 **(Unknown location - 1932 hrs.)**

News of the raid on the Ålfotbreen datacenter has reached the ears of the high-ranking officers as chaotic talking took place. The officers were stunned to hear the events during that time.

In one area, one of the them went to the monitor to see his superior.

"Sir, we have reports that the witch is now affiliated with the UNSA forces." He reported. "Some of the survivors even recounted seeing her with possible SCAR team operatives."

"Hmmm...that's a shame. Now with her in the picture, things will be complicated from that point onward." The one in the monitor expressed his disappointment.

"I would also like to report that the cloning of the deceased witch is on schedule as we speak."

"That's good. We should be able to mitigate most of the damage. In the meantime Krause, continue with your duties. The SDF will be sending us some new weapons soon to make use of."

"Thank you, sir."

The monitor was then switched off to end the transmission before the officer began to leave.

 **XXXXXXX**

 _"Over there! Stop her!"_

 _"She's getting away!"_

 _"Aaaaaahhh!"_

 _"We have the witch on hand. Put her on sleep. Also...no witnesses."_

 _"No."_

"Aaaaahh!"

A nightmare made Izetta awake as she is scarred from what happened before her reawakening.

 **(Spangdahlem Base, Spangdahlem - June 4, 0632 hrs.)**

"Where am I?"

Holding her blanket, she looked around and remembered that she is not in her time anymore. Obvious to her are a single unusually-designed lamp and the sounds of unusual noises outside.

"That's right...I'm not in the village. I'm in the future now."

A knock then reached her ears.

"Izetta?" The voice of Fredericka was heard. "I'm coming in."

"You may."

Fredericka showed some concern after closing the door. Then, she sat down on Izetta's bed.

"I heard you shouting. Is it a nightmare that made you get up?"

"Yeah." Izetta answered. "The night I was captured by those soldiers."

"Pretty traumatic when you are locked up in a capsule and not seeing the light of day for a very long time."

"You could say that." Izetta then began to ask something. "So hey, I was thinking, just what happened after Germany lost when I was locked away?"

"Well, after that, things went pretty downhill quite slowly. The countries of Russia and the United States, they were hostile to each other for a few decades in a period known as the 'Cold War.' Though they didn't fight each other directly, they have a few allies to do their work and often supported those factions in secret."

"Like what?"

"Korea, Suez, Vietnam, Afghanistan...those are a few examples of those conflicts. Then after that, Russia just gave up and America became the dominant superpower. That peace didn't last long: insurgencies in the Middle East, 9/11, and eventually..."

"What? What is it?"

Fredericka took a small breath before beginning to reveal the answer."

"...World War III."

Izetta was taken aback.

"Unbelievable." Izetta uttered.

"Thanks to some vendettas, nationalism and such, wars generally never change."

The witch bowed her head in sadness.

"But..." Fredericka began to assure her.

"Huh?"

"...there are good things that happen as often as the wars itself: moon landings, iPods, Game Boys, Band Aid..."

""iPods"?" Izetta was confused. "Moon landings?"

"There are times when we can make things better for everyone. And here we are now, the stars." Fredericka began to show Izetta the window. "You see the skies above? Mankind has reached the point where space is the limit."

"Wow." The witch uttered in both awe and curiosity.

"I could show you...one day."

Izetta shed a small tear from her eyes as Fredericka's offer was received.

"Thank you...Finé."

 _A/N: Play any of your favorite_ Call of Duty _, anime, or any other music of your choice because the second chapter is here for all the lovers out there._


End file.
